Issues

Privacy and Security

Information technology lets people learn about one another on a scale previously unimaginable. Information in the wrong hands can be harmful. Scholars on this site consider problems of privacy, fraud, identity, and security posed by the digital age.

Research Articles

In future, health care outcomes will be guided by a learning healthcare system, which uses data from patients to evaluate treatments. Some data derived in clinical settings might be of low quality. The FDA now evaluates more treatments using data collected after the treatment begins to be used.

Generally, privacy regulation does not protect the privacy of information derived from public records. However, research shows that people disapprove of the use of data from public records in a wide range of contexts, particularly if the data is derived from voting records.

Blockchain is an important development in information technology. Blockchain systems can be dangerous if not effectively governed, but application of rigid rules could discourage blockchain-based innovation. Blockchain systems can develop governance systems that link up with traditional legal institutions.

Once, fear of "cyberwar" was exaggerated. Today, governments and the military control networks for surveillance and use platforms like Facebook and Twitter for propaganda campaigns. These campaigns challenge the firms whose networks are targeted.

Increasingly, retailers use technologies such as smartphone apps to track and profile shoppers are they shop in retail stores. Retailers profile consumers and treat some differently than others. Most consumers are unaware of retailers’ tracking and profiling.

Computers now make many decisions formerly made by humans. Procedures used to oversee human decision-makers cannot be applied to computers. This article describes technological tools to help developers design algorithms consistent with social goals.

Technological changes now enable employers to track the movement of employees inside and outside the workplace. The law has not changed to respond to this new type of surveillance. The loss of workers’ privacy is harmful in itself; worker privacy should be considered a civil right.

The European Union (EU) restricts the transfer of information to countries such as the United States, which regulates privacy differently. New EU privacy regulations and the Privacy Shield, a treaty between the EU and the U.S., will help resolve the differences.

Password meters, which measure the strength of computer users’ passwords, are not always accurate or helpful. This paper describes a meter that measures strength accurately and gives users detailed feedback on how to improve their password.

Generally, “public” information is not given privacy protection. Often, labelling information as “public” is used to justify surveillance and data collection. However, the term “public” is not clearly defined. Because it has important consequences, “public” information should be clearly defined.

Social networking websites are places on the Internet where people can connect with those who share their interests. Additionally, they can function as economic “platforms” that serve different groups of many users, including consumers, advertisers, game developers, and others.

"Those with unfettered access to your data, and especially those whose usage of your own data you cannot inquire about or limit, have power over you." — Alessandro Acquisti, Professor of Information Technology and Public Policy, Carnegie Mellon University